Exclusion of women from Sabarimala amounts to untouchability: Justice Chandrachud

The ban imposed on the entry of menstruating women into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala has been lifted by the Supreme Court. The most important observation in the judgment came from Justice Chandrachud. He said that the caste system would destroy our society Quoting Phule and Ambedkar, he called for annihilation of the caste system. Ashok Jha reports

On 28 September 2018, the Supreme Court allowed women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple, thus putting an end to a centuries old tradition. The case related to the women of menstruating age (10-50), not being allowed to enter the Temple. The ban was imposed by Travancore Devaswom Board, which is responsible for the administration of the temple. Till now, women of menstruating age were not allowed have a darshan of Lord Ayappa. However, this judgment has ended the ban. The verdict is significant in more ways than one. The 4:1 majority verdict was delivered by a five-judge Constitution bench. The bench comprised Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices R. F. Nariman, A. M. Khanwilkar, D. Y. Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra. The dissenting judgment was delivered by Justice Indu Malhotra. Another reason why this decision is historic is that the Constitution Bench, in its verdict, took a stand against the beliefs of Hinduism, which endorses patriarchy.

About The Author

Ashok Jha is a journalist based in Delhi. Over a career spanning 25 years, he has worked with the Hindi daily 'Rashtriya Sahara' and has been associated with various organizations, including the Centre for Social Development, New Delhi

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